Here’s the 10th post in our series on the Beauty Around Us: Swallowtails & Brushfoots.
In Southwest Florida, we are lucky to be able to see butterflies year-round. Among the most conspicuous butterflies in our area are two families known as Swallowtails and Brushfoots.
The Swallowtails are some of our biggest butterflies, with the Giant Swallowtail sometimes exceeding 7” in wingspan. Many members of this family have “tails” on their hind wings that lend to their name.
The Brushfoots are a large family of butterflies with wide size and color variations. They are named for their hairy forelegs that are said to resemble brushes. Members of this family seen in our area include the Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, Phaon Crescent, White Peacock, Common Buckeye, Mangrove Buckeye and Painted Lady.
Photos by Eva Furner
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There are many ways to learn more about attracting butterflies to your yard. You can visit local butterfly gardens, join a local butterfly club, or study a good butterfly book.
In the YouTube video link below, Maura Qualls, volunteer leader for Lemon Bay Conservancy’s butterfly habitat at Wildflower Preserve, provides an overview of some of the elements to attract a wide variety of butterflies: https://youtu.be/fcJ6bpq6yJg. (Thanks to volunteer Bob Winter for filming this video.)
To learn more about about LBC or if you have pictures or ideas for our series please email us at lbconservancy@comcast.net